Allegations of land encroachment by KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta trigger outcry in Odisha

Former Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Member of Parliament and founder of KIIT University, Achyuta Samanta is at the center of a contentious land encroachment case in Bhubaneswar. 

As per reports, the disputed lands include government and forest lands, with some areas earmarked for the education of tribal children.

Forest land disputes

Information provided by the State government in the Odisha Assembly in 2016 reveals that KITT allegedly encroached upon 18.1 acres of forest land at Patharagadia in Bhubaneswar, sparking legal action under the Odisha Land Encroachment Act. The Odisha government’s records confirm efforts to reclaim the specific areas in question.

Similarly, in the same year, a case concerning the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) and the purported encroachment of over 10 acres of forest land was presented to the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The tribunal ordered the Odisha government to restore the land and halt any non-forest activities until proper clearances were obtained.

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Political and legal reactions

While there were explicit directives, allegations imply that adequate measures were not enforced by the previous BJD government, allowing KISS to continue construction. With the General Elections approaching in 2024, reports suggested attempts to alter the land’s categorisation related to KISS.

Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram directed the Khurda District Collector to pause any conversion processes of the 4.032 hectares of revenue forest land, citing a breach of the Forest Rights Act.

Call for Investigation

There are claims that Samanta’s acquisitions were facilitated by the previous government ministers, legislators, and officials. Calls for a departmental investigation into these allegations have surged, with demands for stringent penalties for wrongdoers.

“The current Mohan Majhi government should initiate either judicial or SIT-level inquiries into the allegations and the real truth should be revealed. The wrong things that have been carried out should be rectified and stern actions should be taken against Achyuta Samanta. The government should also take steps so that lands in Bhubaneswar will not be encroached in the future,” said RTI activist Pradeep Pradhan.

Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan confirmed plans for a special initiative to reclaim the encroached lands. According to the Minister, legal proceedings for commercial or illegal encroachments are reportedly underway.

“If anybody has encroached upon forest lands illegally and using it for commercial purposes, definitely actions will be taken. The government has already started the process in this regard,” said Law Minister Harichandan.